[Takes place during some of Substitute for Love and carries onwards]
Priss looked at herself in the mirror. Like most of the furniture and accessories in her trailer- and her trailer for that matter, the mirror was a discard, something she had scavenged.
She had returned immediately to her trailer after recovering her bike. She'd clean herself up first and then head over to Nigel's to get the ignition fixed. It wouldn't do to have anybody be able to simply start her bike and ride it off. She contemplated briefly the idea of converting into a reclining seat like the bike the guy, Kaneda, she raced against had. It'd be comfortable. But it wouldn't be the real thing.
Her torn pants she had discarded. The rips were to extensive for patching. They were getting old anyway. Her jacket was scuffed up but that would just add her attitude, "Don't mess with me, I'm dangerous to be around." well that was Nene's view on her attitude, minus the "grr!" the excitable wide eyed ADP/Knight Sabre hacker had thrown in.
With a towel and tweezers she had removed the small stones from her arms, legs and face. Small cuts and shine ran along her forehead and right cheek. Seen plenty of those Priss had. They would heal fine and leave no trace.
Her hair was a mess, blown back and about from riding home without a helmet. It had been a while since her last cut and was decidedly frayed about the ends.
Am I pretty? she asked her reflection.
It was such a self conscious act that even though she was alone she blushed and felt like looking away. Avoiding her own piercing eyes.
She didn't look it in her own mind. A fairly ordinary face. More times full of anger or contempt than laughter or smiles. Her face usually felt heavy like her skin was sagging down and wanted to run off her skull.
Hesitantly she reached out her left hand to the mirror and put it over her cheek. She moved her fingers as if exploring. Tracing the lines and curves.
Priss drew her hand back. To her own face. Rough.
Kaneda: "You don't look so bad yourself."
Linna; kissing her.
Biting her lip she drew off her shirt. Looked herself over. Trim. She was in shape. Shapely as well.
Does this make me pretty, attractive?
Priss could feel the eyes on her as she had walked through busy streets, sat at the bar after a gig. Lecherous eyes ogling her. Linna's eyes.
Priss closed her eyes hard and ran into her room, fell on the bed. Shirt clutched over her body.
What's the matter with me? Have I ever cared about this stuff before? No... she berated herself.
Swinging her legs over the bed she sat up. Crumpled paper had lain beneath her. Music sheets.
What was today? Tuesday or Wednesday? Only spent the one weekday at Linna's place. Fight the next day. Wednesday then.
She checked he clock for the time.
Band'll be off work soon. Give them a call, practice the gig.
She put her shirt back on. A large shirt that hung around her like a protective shroud.
+++===+++
The weekend came.
Saturday morning.
Sylia Stringray awoke to the chirping of her alarm clock. Saturday might be a weekend and day off for most, but for her the Silky Doll was open for business at 10am. And she hated not being on time.
With a press of a button the alarm stopped, another and the blinds covering her window automatically wound up letting in the sunlight.
She lay for a little while under the sheets, luxuriating in the moments before having to get up. Wishing that she could just lay there. Maybe tomorrow.
But there was work to do. And she liked doing it. Selling fabulous women's apparel by day and running a vigilante team against the worlds most powerful corporation by night.
So she rose, put on a robe and went to the bar for a morning scotch. As she leaned against the bar she remembered the hours not so long ago. The night had been very interesting.
Starting with the arrival of Linna, who didn't seem too happy and considering the way she was dressed... probably having to miss out on something. Sylia's initial reaction had been to hear her jaw drop and clatter onto the floor of the Pit. She'd been on the console not taking any notice and then turned around in her chair- thankfully, she might have fallen down if she hadn't. Eyes wide, mouth open staring at who she thought had been a conservative girl who had watched her in return with an amused smile broadening over the girls face.
"Why Sylia dear, you look like you've had a shock." Linna had said and leaning down put the tip of her finger underneath Sylia's chin and pushed her mouth shut.
Nene entered then and had an even stronger reaction giving Sylia enough time to give Linna a good look over. Tight black pants, tummy exposed. Gone the full length sweater or jacket.
Sylia wondered if the recent fall out with Priss had something to do with it. Reminding her, she needed to give Priss a call. She had tried for an hour last night before and after the other girls had already gone out to destroy another rogue boomer. This one hadn't been a problem at all. Taken Linna a few seconds. She wondered if Linna's new fighting style was also another impact of short history.
Linna's sudden changes. Priss not in contact.
If Linna is interested in a new style I should try her out in some of my outfits...
+++===+++
At the same time Linna lay face down on her bed, head buried in the pillow and arms hanging over each side dead in exhausted sleep.
Her mind drifted through the realm of dreams.
The fields of where she grew up, rice paddies, green meadows. A breeze swaying the crops. The rustle in her ears. Above clouds billowed and raced through a sunset orange sky.
She lay on her back beneath a tree hands behind her head watching the clouds. Identifying shapes in them. A face, the head of a horse, a reaching hand. Always changing shape, becoming something else. Completely unhindered in what they had to be. Free to ride on the currents of the air.
The simple life of a cloud. Up there, away from it all. Raining sometimes. Or a storm if angry. The sun beaming down on you from on high. Always seeing the stars and the moon.
A foolish notion, envying a cloud. Still, they didn't have the problems and pressures of a teenager like she did. The expectations of family in conflict with her own needs and desires.
She turned her eyes off the white clouds, to beside her where a girl lay with closed eyes, breathing softly through parted lips. Shadows and light played across her face from the canopy overhead. Chest rising and falling rhythmically. So peaceful, in harmony with herself. Akane. Her pigtails sticking out. Linna picked one and pulled.
Akane opened her eyes and out of the corner looked at Linna. "It is nice here isn't it."
"Yes." Linna sighed, "I wish we could stay forever."
"I'll miss you, you know." Akane took Linna's hand in her own.
The girls, seventeen both, smiled at each other. Storing the memory in the recess of their mind. Fingers entwined.
+++===+++
Tokyo City. A sprawling megacity larger and greater than it had been before the quake that had leveled its tall towers to the ground, falling into the rent earth. A city where one true tower stood. Out in the bay separated from the teeming mass of humanity. Only to be looked upon with awe. Babel. The recovery made possible by its Masters vision. It's rise the symbol of the phoenix rebirth of the city itself. A symbiotic relationship of man and machine. Where boomers roamed at will performing the undesirable functions a community required to prosper, allowing the populace to live as the ancient Greeks would have it, as rulers over a slave race. Secure in their dominance of their environment, the recent past already forgotten by the majority.
High on the city Roger stood, the peak of one of the cities concrete and glass spires, the wind billowing his suit jacket about him.
A man came up beside him, heavyset and muscled beneath his dark suit. A strong jaw set firmly in place. Eyes hidden behind opaque glasses.
No words were spoken between the two men. They could exist on a level of body language, able to convey what they needed to know.
The tower. Surrounded by its moat. Rising high on the artificial island of metal. Secure in its divorce of the mainland.
In that tower lay the secrets of the world.
Roger turned away and followed his companion to a stairwell. The sound of his footsteps blown away and scattered denying his ever existence.
+++===+++
Midday.
The streets and plazas full of weekend shoppers. Among them Linna Yamazaki. She took her time. Staring into the display windows, reflection starting back. Leisure shopping, a wonder of the modern world. Where one could wander through vast complexes or streets full of shops selling the near same articles with usually only a small piece of label making the difference between affordable and fashionable. Whether it was a piece of clothing, a handbag or even a coffee pot. Simple, ordinary articles turned into personality enhancing accessories.
Take cell phones for instance. Their role was simple, to allow communication between people at any time in any location. The caller and receiver no longer restricted to static locations. Somewhere along the way however, probably when they became affordable to the public, the cell phone became less of what it was meant to be and more about its user. The colour or pattern of the phone. The ring tone. The accessories for an accessory- dangling charms or trinkets. The progression of how a 'life-enhancing' device became analogous to the way one wore their hair.
It was all so hard to comprehend. Fads, what was in, what was out. Whether you were the next new thing or yesterdays news. A spiral of acquisition and discardance that did little to promote the well-being beyond a thin layer of ego satisfaction and yet it was how the world ran its self. A vast economy built for the purpose of perpetuating its own existence and vitality.
If it was seen for what it was, the realisation was ignored. The majority accepting their role in the scheme of it all. Small cogs in a big machine that ran on and on.
Even the feel good neo-spiritualism/naturalism revitilisation was just another part of the machine. Feeding on the needs to create a product for them that satisfied just enough of their desire to keep them, cogs, in their place.
A deep cynicism. One that would have left a blank face on Priss who held herself removed from the merchandise world. But she was an active player, providing the release for the cogs which the machine then targeted and supplied for; not as harsh or direct as Priss, rebellion with white teeth, a manager and an act. Cynicism born of the stifling restrictions culture and community placed upon her. The continuos attempts of her parents- her father, to get her married so she could provide an heir for the farm to pass onto; the community accepting a little rebellion but not enough to support her needs as a person, to give her the kind of relationship and affection she wanted. The culture and her role in it as a woman, complaisant, obliging.
All this, more, she was awakened to by two people.
Akane, who for a short time, the veritable moth in the flame, gave her the feelings of being that she had needed.
Iosuf Kennedy, the High Schools foreign English Teacher. A world traveler. So many places he had been to, so much knowledge and wisdom about the world he gave. Herself enraptured with the way other cultures in far off lands existed- a simpler life but one that was not so controlled by the vast first world machine that she lived in. In the year that he taught, his words fired her heart to break away from her confinement, culture and the machine. To be more than a cog, to be part of something that allowed her to make change happen.
Her last years of High School she had searched desperately for that means to escape. Her view of the world had still been narrow, her courage to step too far outside the norms and borders not firm enough.
A means came, not to the end, but a beginning none the less, when researching for an assignment she saw a photo on a webpage. Of what looked like a female shaped suit of armour, blue, attacking a boomer. The story below: 'One of the Knight Sabres attacks an out of control boomer. The Knight Sabres, vigilantes, have proved to be more effective than the heavy handed ADP in controlling boomer crime incidents. Genom, the vast company behind boomer production continues to deny the existence of boomer crimes and the Knight Sabres but as you can see in in the photo I took above both are very real. What does Genom have to hide?' For the entirety of her last year she scoured the internet for all she could find about the Knight Sabres and their nemesis. It gave her the motivation, a goal. She joined a company that was affiliated with Genom in the hope of using them as a base to find out more.
It also took her away from her family and gave her the first real freedom she had ever had.
Linna knew she was going along the right track. She was Knight Sabre, fighting against Genom. She didn't know exactly why, Sylia kept so many secrets. But she knew she was doing what was right and good. She was living her own life. She was trying to have her own relationship. A false start. A new approach. She would have it. The horror of her parents when they would find out, bringing home the girlfriend.
You don't own me. I thank you for raising me, for giving me shelter, but it's time for me to grow in the fields of my choosing.
+++===+++
The soft ambient music was disturbed by the sounds of outside traffic.
Sylia turned to watch the entry of a customer to the Silky Doll and let a broad smile spread on her face when she saw that it was Linna. She was with a customer so gave a wave that was replied likewise.
Linna walked over to some racks and riffled through the clothes.
Sylia's customer, a narrow faced woman was studying a garment that in Sylia's opinion was too good for her. But her opinion wasn't what counted, "Oh that's a nice choice. You really do have style. I think you should try it on." and she ushered the customer into the change room giving her time to turn her attention to Linna.
"Looking for anything in particular?"
"Not at these prices!"
"I could always advance you some mission pay..."
"No thanks, I've got bills enough. But really Sylia, you would even try to sell your own grandmother,"
"Linna. That is so cruel. I am shocked that you would actually think I'd hand over my grandmother."
"Yes, I'm sure you could fine some one else's... and come out a profit with them too."
Sylia laughed, "You're a bag of surprises. I never thought you cynical- I have Priss around for that." she leaned in close and whispered into Linna's ear, "Nor so daring. I'm disappointed you're not dressed like you were last night."
Linna's natural reaction kicked in and she flushed red.
"Still, I can't have sexy girls wearing clothes from other shops in mine?"
"I suppose not..."
Sylia always had a way of flustering her.
The narrow faced customer stepped out in the garment, "Oh my god," Linna breathed. Sylia turned about and clapped her hands together, tears almost forming in the corners of her eyes. Oh my god was apt, the woman looked hideous.
"Beautiful! I just wont let you out of this store unless you buy it." to Linna, "I'll be with you in a tick." and mouthing more compliments confounded the customer into a sale.
Sylia is completely at home in the modern world. She had to be a big cog, high up in the machine. That gave her the freedom she needed to operate the Knight Sabres without suspicion.
After the sale Sylia let the shop run in the hands of her assistant and took Linna upstairs to her living area.
"Drink?" she asked.
"Thanks."
Sylia's bar was well stocked. They settled onto couches facing each other.
"You've certainly bounced back from when I had to drive you home."
Something Linna didn't want to be reminded of. She looked down at her glass.
"Onwards and upwards. No point wallowing in stagnation."
"I'm glad. It's always best to move on. I almost went back to Priss' trailer. I was worried and a bit annoyed because you are both Knight Sabres and any falling out with team members would have an impact on our performance to handle any rouge boomer incidents."
Linna nodded, "Maybe you should talk to Priss. She hasn't been around the last two times," there was a bitterness in her voice.
"She's been hard to reach, being herself quite admirably. I wouldn't expect anything else from her. However," she put her glass down, "I would have expected something different from you."
Linna narrowed her eyes. "Sylia, I didn't come here to be lectured at."
Sylia gave a placating smile, "You don't have to tell me what happened between you. Priss will at some point get over it and show up. I want to know that you will both be all right with each other close by and it wont affect your teamwork. And if you do want to talk about it Linna, I'm here. Moving to the city, your job, being a Knight Sabre is a lot to take on. You've done very well to cope with the stress, oh I'm just being motherly..." she trailed off and shrugged sheepishly.
"I'm quite old enough to look after myself."
"Yes, yes you are. Don't think me patronising. Just concerned. You scared Nene a few nights back. She almost didn't want to go last night but she was needed to give you support."
"Nene?"
"It's the way you have been killing the boomers. I must say it unsettled me as well."
"Are you concerned about their feelings?"
"Linna. You almost attacked Nene and you don't remember it, which is worse. And yes, boomer's can feel pain, even a rogue boomer deserves a quick death."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this, from you of all people." Linna stood up.
Sylia let her own quick anger get the better of her, "Listen here, don't think you or Priss are doing me any favours. If there's any shit between you then you can both leave."
"Fine!"
"Fine."
+++===+++
There was a big crowd tonight came the word from the front back to the prep area where 'Sekiria, featuring Priss' did their final run down for the nights gig.
Hope she's there Priss uncharacteristically chewed on her lip. This whole week had been uncharacteristic for her. Because she'd never had something like it happen ever before. Precedentual stuff.
She and the band had been practicing for the latter half of the week on her new song. They'd been skeptical at first, wondering if it was a change in direction for the sound of the band. It's something I want to get off my chest Priss had returned. It didn't matter really, they grew to like the song as they played it and knew it had some extra meaning for Priss. It was a song they could put their emotion into and that's what people reacted to.
The empathy. Understanding what was behind the song, its motivation, the singer. Lyrics or chords alone couldn't create a connection with the audience. The connection came from a the listener and band/song reaching out towards each other on the same emotional frequency. The tighter the frequency the stronger the connection.
One thing with live playing was that the band could tailor the song to the frequency they were receiving from the audience to make the connection, tighten the frequency and establish a stronger empathic bond between them, leading to a perfect time for all. All swept along in the harmony of feeling that they had achieved.
Reading the audience was part of the job for all band members but more importantly for the vocalist. The vocalist was the bridge between the band and the audience. The focus of both groups attention. Their job to bring alignment and to tighten the focus.
Priss had a raw emotional appeal when she sang that acted as a lightning rod between the band and audience. The audience knew what to expect from her and so when Sekiria played it gathered the right kind of crowd to reach the gestalt that brought the house down.
A staff member came into the back, "Ok, its all setup and checked, time to rock'n'roll."
Tonight Priss was going to lead the band and the audience to a new state of being.
+++===+++
All day Linna had debated whether she was going to follow up on Priss' initiation and go to Hot Legs, for that 'something special'.
After the fight with Sylia she decided not to. She wasn't in the mood for any more tension and rejection from Priss.
She was going to continue with the new her and succeed. Dressing again in her new look clothes she returned to the teeming machine sponsored night life to find her alternative.
+++===+++
The weekend finished and a new work week began. Another cycle of the grind of life for most, for some just another day that had to be lived whether it was weekend or not. For a small few the ending of a period of wait and the beginning of what they had come to Japan to do.
After the gig Priss had asked around to see if anyone matching Linna's description had shown. No they hadn't, but it had also been one of their biggest crowds, and energetic. Stage diving hadn't been a regular occurrence at her gigs or the party like atmosphere that saw Sekiria run through their full complement of songs and some covers. Somewhere along the night a large beach ball had appeared and surfed the audience, ending up in front of her where upon she gave it a good kick back into the wild crowd.
A perfect gig. It was going to be hard topping it and next week would see a bigger crowd after the same thing, those there on Saturday night telling their friends and spreading the word. Stuff careers were made on. Maybe some recording suits would be there. A fanciful thought, too much to hope for maybe.
Perfect but without Linna. Priss didn't believe she'd been there. She would have felt it. Linna would have come up to her after her gift and it would have been all right between them. Fanciful thoughts again, but she wasn't going to give up. She wasn't about to lose one of the supports that kept her upright for good.
On her motorcycle she rode into the CBD, a tape of the nights recording in her pocket.
+++===+++
Another Monday.
Linna's weekend hadn't been successful. No waking up with a gorgeous woman in her arms mid-Sunday morning. She felt she was getting closer, just had to find the right place where the other ones like her hung out. It had been interesting and fun though, dancing, a few conversations, drinking. Stumbling back to her apartment and waking up the next day with a hangover instead of the smile she wanted.
If everyone gave up after the first try then we'd all be back to arranged marriages or worse.
She approached her work as she usually did, bored out of her mind which was noted by her coworker Misei.
Well at least Linna's better and hopefully over the jerk who dumped her! She wondered if they should team up and try and pick up together. She hadn't been having any luck either and needed to get the jerks from Sales off her back with a boyfriend. She wasn't going to let them sell her a pregnancy.
Lunch time came.
Linna was out the door handbag off her shoulder. At the entrance to her building she didn't expect to see Priss parked out front. She frowned, wondered if she should just walk past and ignore the biker but decided to confront, and overcome the object of her pain.
"How long have you been here?" she asked.
"Maybe twenty minutes. Have a few?"
"My break is only half an hour and I'm hungry so it had better be quick."
Dammit, she was going to make this difficult, Priss : "I didn't see you at Hot Legs on Saturday."
"No, I was out having a good time."
Priss' eyes widened. "That's ... good." she looked down at the pavement and then back to Linna, "I fixed your photo."
"Thank you." abrupt.
"Okay okay. Hate me." Priss resigned herself. She couldn't handle conversations when she was part of it, "But ..." but what? Ask for forgiveness. She wasn't going to get it.
Linna cocked her head, a sure sign she was impatient.
"Here's a copy of what I wanted to give you." she pulled out and handed over the tape. "Please listen to it."
Linna took the tape hesitantly, not because she didn't want to, she had to control her trembling.
Then, "Oh no! Is that the biker again Linna?" Misei recognised the bike and outfit from months back when Linna had just arrived to the city and started her work. A spectacular first day.
Priss scowled at the office worker and she hid behind Linna. "What's she doing here? We better leave, she looks butch."
The conversation was over.
Taking her eyes off Linna, Priss started her engine and joined the traffic.
"What did she give you?" Misei tried to get a look at the tape Linna put into her handbag.
"Just some lunch money," Linna replied in a far away voice.
+++===+++
The Genom maintenance van pulled up at the Security Post outside the tunnel that lead all the way, under water, to the Genom Tower. A normal looking Guard came out of the post and asked for papers. What wasn't normal was the invisible security, cameras connected to a center inside the Tower from where commands to mobilise Rapid Response Teams were issued. The RRT's were anything but normal as well. Highly trained expertly equipped corporate soldiers. The briefing had surmised that it would take as little as two minutes for the first RRT to be at the sight of an incident anywhere in the Tower with another team or two less than ten minutes out after that.
Genom, the prime force behind Boomer Research and Development had every right to take the precautions to ensure its dominance and to safeguard the information and the people that kept it thus. The Tower not only need boomer related material but also a wealth of data and information that if came into the wrong hands, such as any major world government or the UN, would prove to be disastrous for the company. Genom, as mighty as it was couldn't take on the world.
But without that information the world or individual nations couldn't do anything to halt Genom's rise in power and increasing monopoly in the boomer field and other areas where it was branching out.
Like an Octopus Roger thought. Tentacles, so apt considering some of the more perverse parts of the culture he was in, extending outward to strangle the opposition.
The Guard returned with the papers and Roger took them. He, and the other men in the van were dressed in work overalls, the back of the van full of heavy duty tools and cases. He wore his cap pulled down over his eyes to shield his face from the cameras.
The boom in front of the van lifted and he put pressure on the accelerator and entered the tunnel, into the lair of the enemy.
+++===+++
The day ended.
Having rode her scooter to work Linna changed into riding garb, waved Misei good-bye and set off for home, dinner and sleep.
Traffic was heavy, rush hour having kicked in at least an hour before. She was used to it by now and skilled enough in her riding to weave through gridlock traffic and beat most people back home. The benefits of not having a car. When it rained it was a different story. Commuting was a nightmare. Full to bursting buses or train-cars and the occasional wandering hand.
When she got close to home traffic thinned out considerably as she turned off the main road and into rows of close apartment blocks. A regular ghetto but better than the place she had first moved into, window facing a brick wall. The money she got from Sylia paid for her larger and better located place.
A minute later she was in front of her building. She hopped off the scooter and was about to wheel it into the garage beneath the building when a screech of tyres caused her to turn around the way she had come.
Around the corner a black sedan came. Thick black marks marred the road where it took the corner at high speed. Linna noticed that some smoke was coming from the engine and the front windshield was covered in oil. The car's wipers went back and forth trying to clean it.
The sedan righted itself and with a roar accelerated down the road towards her.
There was another screech as a second car came into the street.
What's going on?
Across from her a car pulled out backwards onto the road.
In front of the approaching sedan.
The sedan served but clipped the back of the car sending it spinning to the side. The sedan lost control as well and with smoke billowing from its breaking tyres slammed into a parked car.
The second car came to a halt some ten meters back with front facing the crash. The four doors opened and a person stepped out of each one.
With a weapon in their arms.
From the sedan a window shattered and flame licked out.
Not the flame of a fire, the flame of a weapon shooting.
A loud metal full rattle echoed both directions along the street.
Linna stood rooted to the spot.
The doors of the sedan facing away from the chase car opened and figures stumbled out. The first two took cover behind the tyres and with their own weapons lying over the bonnet and boot respectively began firing as the occupants of the chase car added their own noise to the growing cacophony.
It was at this time that Linna's cell phone rang. The beeping snapped her out of her state.
"Hello?" she said in a still, calm voice.
"Linna," it was Nene, "you have to go to Sylia's right away, something has just happened at Genom. What's that noise, turn the TV down..."
"I'm not watching TV."
The gunfire grew louder, adding to it the noise of bullets striking the chassis of the vehicles. More men from the sedan got out, two heading to a parked car in front
"Nene, can you put me through to Sylia?"
"Uh, sure, I'll conference."
The men using the butts of their guns smashed the windows of the car and unlocked the doors. One ran around to the drivers side doing the same and pulled open the drivers side door and ducked down to hotwire the ignition. The other turned back to the firefight.
"Linna, what the hell is going on?" Sylia shouted.
"I'm watching a war."
"What?"
Nene; "Sylia, there's a News helicopter broadcasting, oh my god! Linna, what are you doing there? Get away!"
"What channel Nene?"
"Two. Linna's right in the middle!" the ADP Officer screamed. She was still at her control desk at the ADP Tower, her outburst brining attention from her coworkers.
Sylia ran to a TV and turned on. The image from on high of the gun battle appeared on the screen. "Nene, stay online with Linna and get her out of there, I'm calling Priss."
Unable to take her eyes off the screen as the battle played out in real time she punched in Priss' number. She hoped she could real her.
The volume of fire from the pursued sedan occupants drove the chase team into their car or behind it giving them a moment of respite. Empty magazines were quickly discarded to be replaced with full ones, of long gleaming deadly bullets.
One of them had pulled his balaclava back from his face, teeth gripping on the pin of a ball sized object. The pin came out in his teeth and with a throw the grenade arched into the air, bounced on the bonnet of the chase car twice and exploded.
The front of the chase car disappeared, the bonnet flying apart, a large piece slicing into a parked car shattering its windows. Petrol caught fire. Thick oily smoke plumed skywards.
Linna knew that face.
From the hotwired car came a shout. Two of the four men fell back and dived into the back seat. The other pair, including the one she recognised, Roger, stayed in cover. They fired cutting down the chase car occupants as they emerged from the burning vehicle.
"Go go go!" Roger shouted slapping his man on the shoulder. The man took off. Roger reached into the car, pulled out a large bag and slung it over his shoulder. The roof punctured as bullets struck it. He turned, fired back a long burst, empty casings spinning out of the side of his rifle.
The chase car blew up.
Linna fell back to the ground and a hot wave washed over her.
"Linna! What are you doing?" Nene was beside herself.
Sylia reached Priss through the videophone on her bike.
"I'm there," the biker/singer/Knight Sabre replied.
The engine of the hotwired car burst to life. Roger got into the front passenger seat and closed the door, the barrel of his rifle sticking out the broken window. "Lets go." he urged.
The car, its five passengers took off roaring down the road.
Overhead the News helicopter followed suit.
Flames billowed from the burning car.
People came out from their buildings or looked out the window at the carnage.
+++===+++
"They've escaped, Sir"
"How long until another team intercepts them?"
"Five, ten minutes depending on traffic. We could use helicopters to insert the team where they stop."
"Clear the skies, I don't want this on the news anymore,"
"Yes Sir"
+++===+++
Police cars swarmed the recent battle zone, blocking both ends of the street. An Officer trying to keep a growing crowd back yelled out a motorcycle that was trying to get through, "You can't go in there, it's restricted!"
"I live here!" Priss yelled back and rode through the roadblock.
She didn't have to travel far to find Linna still at the front of her building.
"Linna, are you all right?"
Priss jumped off her bike and run up to her. Linna was still wearing her scooter helmet. It had a deep scrape along its side.
"Jesus Christ," Priss pulled the helmet off and showed the mark.
"Oh wow, I didn't feel anything."
Priss checked Linna over quickly. No wounds. Just a close brush with death.
"What the hell were you thinking? Just standing out here watching the damn thing!"
"That almost sounded like you cared,"
Priss couldn't believe it, "Well fuck you for caring!" she snapped.
Nene interrupted over the phone which was still on, "Will you two shut up and listen!" her high pitched voice pierced their ears, "Get over to Sylia's right away."
+++==+++
The television coverage went to an Anchor and repeats as soon as the News helicopter was forced away from the news story by a Police helicopter following orders coming down from Genom. A black unmarked VTOL took up the aerial pursuit. That was the last information Nene could send before she rushed out of the ADP Tower, who had no jurisdiction because it wasn't boomer related, to come to Sylia's.
She arrived a few minutes after Priss with Linna sitting behind her pulled up.
Quickly all three went to the Pit where Sylia was waiting for them.
Priss started, "Sylia, we're not getting involved in this are we? It's not boomer.."
"No its not, at least not rogue boomers. But it is Genom and that means I'm interested. From what I've been able to gather from internal Genom communications is that they have just lost a very important piece of data."
"So, so what? Good for the guys that stole it."
"We're going to get it."
"What!?" from all three girls.
"You can't be serious!" Priss shouted.
"That's crazy Sylia, its too dangerous. I saw the whole fight." Nene added.
"I want you suited up ASAP." Sylia's forceful persona kicked in, "Whatever was stolen has got Genom in an absolute frenzy- so bad that their communications security is nonexistent. I'll know exactly where the thieves have stopped and we'll be able to get in before too many parties show up."
Priss put her hands to her forehead, "You're nuts. I don't have to do this,"
Linna spoke for the first time, "I recognised one of the men."
All eyes turned to her.
She looked at Priss, "It was that guy you met at the club last week. I ran into him a few days ago too. Roger I think his name is."
Priss wasn't comprehending. Sylia gave Linna and Priss an strong look. "Well, your friend is soon going to be in trouble and Genom will most likely recover their data if we don't get to it first."
"Do you even know what the data is?" Priss just could not believe the situation.
"No."
"Then why care?"
"Because it must be very important for a) someone to steal it and b) for Genom to make such a recovery attempt shooting up the city. If it wasn't that important then they'd have used the regular Police to get it back. Now, we don't have much time so make up your minds."
"I'll go." Linna said firmly.
Priss felt like punching the wall. "You're not superman and this isn't your fight!"
"I'm not a Knight Sabre just for the thrill Priss. I have to trust Sylia on this. If it is important and can be used against Genom then this is something I have to do."
Laying down the gauntlet.
Priss basically spat the words out, "I'll go too. Just to make sure you don't get yourself killed."
Eyes turned to Nene.
Nene didn't want too. She felt utterly afraid of what the others were contemplating. Boomers were one thing. Guns another. People had just been killed, didn't the others see that? This was for the Police, not the Knight Sabres. The intensity of their stares caused her to cave in. Linna and Sylia looking down at her, Priss wanting her support.
"Okay. You'll need me to tell you which way to run for it when you start getting shot at."
Sylia was satisfied. "Nene, link your suit's sensors into the van's. Get ready, launch and I'll vector you in to the target."
+++ 30 +++
This chapter's title provided by MaryF`knPoppings (irc buddy, ausnet, #allnightcafe) after I asked for some song titles that were "introspective". Haven't heard the song myself but the title is very apt for maybe what I wanted to achieve in this chapter- whether I did or not. And once again me throwing social commentry through the main characters. Small homage to the terrific fire-and-movement gunfight in HEAT. DeNiro and Pacino rule.